The number of first-time freshmen living in residence halls increased 12 percent in the past two academic years to 2,983 students. With a high number of freshmen, increasing numbers of upperclassmen and Hashinger Hall closing, the KU Department of Student Housing is cutting some of the perks for returning residents.

The department issued housing contracts March 14 for students who intended to return to the residence halls. Contracts were due on March 30, and first choices were not granted to everyone, Diana Robertson, associate director of student housing, said.

“Everyone who requested a contract got one, but their assignment wasn’t necessarily what their first choice was,” she said.

Freshman enrollment increased this year, and the number of freshmen living in residence halls is growing at a steady pace. The number of freshmen in residence halls has gone up from 2,701 in the last academic year to 2,983 in this academic year, according to student housing. The increase of 282 students this year is more than the total population currently living in Lewis Hall and Templin Hall — 275 students.

Hashinger is closing this May for renovation, taking away 460 student living spaces. When Hashinger reopens in Fall 2006, it will have 375 student spaces.

Robertson said student housing will compensate for the increasing freshman class and loss of space by not allowing any upperclassmen to live in a two-person room alone, as it had in the past. All of the two-person rooms will have two people in the residence halls next year, she said.

The “squatter rule,” another returning-resident perk, will be eliminated for next year. The rule allowed residents to keep the same room for the following year if they turned in their Intent-to-Return forms by the deadline, which was February 2.

Robertson said the department also issued 250 fewer ITR forms this year because of the Hashinger renovation. In the past, student housing has issued about 600 ITR forms. They issued 350 this year.

“We’re still offering the same number of freshmen spaces, just issuing fewer returning contracts,” Robertson said.

Student housing issued ITR forms in January on a first-come, first-serve basis, which caused a rush of returning students to housing headquarters, adjacent to GSP-Corbin Hall.

Laura Evers, Ellsworth resident and Olathe sophomore, said it was nerve-racking trying to keep a spot in the residence halls for next year. Evers got the student housing office before 8 a.m. on the first possible day, Jan. 24, to turn in her ITR form. She said with the first-come, first-serve system, she may not have had anywhere to live had she forgotten to complete the ITR form.

Heather Wood, Jayhawker Towers resident and Wichita senior, said she requested a two-person bedroom in the Towers for next year. She received the two-person bedroom but with three other people. Two people will share a room together. Wood said if she had known that Hashinger was closing, she would have turned in her ITR form on the first day possible.

“I think changes need to be made,” Wood said. “I’ve been in student housing for four years, and that should have some effect in choosing where I want to live with my money.”

— Edited by Nikola Rowe and Azita Tafreshi